Semper Fi
by Grannanatlanta
Summary: This is a first story in the 'In Our Heart' series:"No matter what happens, when we need them most, they will always be in our heart." Jethro said resting his forehead against his sons.


**Semper Fi**

Jethro threw some cheese into the macaroni and stirred as he also checked on the hotdogs, when he heard the front door open then shut softly. Then the soft steps of socked feet. He turned and saw his son, he watched as his son plopped down on a chair at the table. He had his head down and was chewing his lip in deep thought.

Jethro turned back to the food stirred it for the last time, then shut it off. He then pulled two plates out and put food onto them, carried them over to the table and sat down across from his son. He pushed his plate in front of him. After awhile of just eating alone, Jethro looked up at his son again.

"Wanna tall me what happened?" Jethro asked. For this morning he could distinctly remember Tony being extremely excited, now he was subdued.

"I lost my baseball." Tony mumbled. Jethro knew for a fact that, that wasn't the only thing bothering him. For Tony had lost many baseballs before for which Jethro had to go buy new ones. Jethro gave a look that Tony knew as, he knew there was more, and wanted Tony to elaborate.

"The one mom gave me my last birthday." Tony said as a tear went slowly down his eye. Jethro stopped eating and put his fork down and rubbed his hand down his face. 'Oh god Shannon, why'd you have to go. Miss you so much.' Jethro thought for a split second. It was just a year ago that there happy family of four was split in half to just a family of two, and it still hurt a lot from time to time.

"Tony, come here." Jethro said scooting back his chair. Tony obeyed slowly and was now standing in front of Jethro. Jethro reached under Tony's arms and lifted him onto his lap and held him close, for awhile Tony tensed then he slumped against his father and cried.

"Sh, sh, I got you honey. Sh daddy's got you." Jethro said running his hand through Tony's hair.

"Sometimes it's so hard to remember what they looked, or smelled like! It feels like I'm forgetting them! I don't want to forget them! Oh God what if I forget them dad!" Tony sobbed into Jethro's chest. Jethro could feel tears coming out of his own eyes and he hugged his son tighter.

"I know, I know." Jethro said, then he leaned Tony back so he could look at him. "You…we could never forget them Tony not even if we tried. You know why?" Jethro asked him, Tony shook his head. "Because they will always be right here." Jethro said patting Tony over the heart. "No matter what happens, when we need them most, they will always be in our heart." Jethro said resting his forehead against his sons. Tony was hiccupping now but he wasn't sobbing anymore, so Jethro figured he did a pretty ok job. He still wished he had his beautiful wife here with him and his gorgeous little girl.

"Now do you know were you lost that ball of yours at?" Jethro asked him with a bit of a smile, Tony nodded.

"At the park, I was playing around with it because I was the only one there at the time. When I tossed it up it came down but I couldn't catch it, it was to far ahead of me, it hit a bored and flew of to the side into a field." Tony said taking a deep breath. "I looked forever but couldn't find it." Tony sniffed.

"Looked forever uh, well we'll just have to keep looking then. This way there will be two sets of eyes ok." Jethro said Tony finally smiled and nodded. Jethro got up went over slipped on his jacket and grabbed Tony's it was a bit chilly out. He slipped on his shoes as Tony got his on. They stepped outside together and Jethro took Tony's hand and they walked to the park. It wasn't that far away.

Once they got there Tony showed his dad were he lost the ball, but when they got there they saw a dog there. It was in the field running towards them, when it got to there feet it dropped a baseball. Tony slowly bent down and picked it up, he saw the inscription on the side of the ball.

_Happy 9__th__ birthday honey, Love mom._

"Dad it's my ball." Tony said in a whisper, he then looked at the dog it was a golden retriever. It just sat there panting and looking at them. Jethro bent down and petted the dog, Tony had already been petting him. Jethro reached for the collar to look for a name or address since he didn't see any family or anybody out here.

_Shannon Kelly  
__Owner: Michael Kelly  
__Address: 6__th__ ST. Washington DC, House 644_

Jethro was taken aback, he looked at the dog, the dog seemed to be just boring holes into his own eyes. Jethro smiled and continued to pet the dog.

"Dad what do we do with the dog?" Tony asked.

"I say we take her back to her home, what about you?" Jethro asked standing up and looking down at his son. After reading the address, Jethro knew were the dog lived and knew it wasn't far from the park. Jethro grabbed his son hand who had a hand wrapped around the dogs collar.

The finally came up to a house with 644 on the mail box and side of the house. Jethro led Tony and Shannon up the steps and rang the bell.

The door opened and a man not to younger or older then Jethro stood there. One look at the dog and relief fled through the mans face.

"Oh thank god." The man said opening the screen door and stepping, he bent down and hugged the dog. "Billy come out here!" The man said. Just then a little girl around Tony's age of nine came around the corner. As soon as she saw the dog she ran right to her.

"SHANNON!" The girl said hugging the dog. The man got up and looked at Jethro.

"Thank you so much, I don't know how I can repay you." The man said holding out his hand. Jethro took it and shook it.

"No need your dog already has, she's a good dog." Jethro said with a kind smile.

"Yeah we just got her about a year ago, but she was the only thing that could get Billy to open up. After her mother and brother died in a car crash not to long before we got Shannon, Billy wouldn't even say a word to me it was like she shut down. But then I got Shannon, and everything changed." The man which Jethro assumed to be Michael said. Jethro was to stunned to respond for a moment. "Is that your boy?" Michael asked. Jethro nodded and draped his arm around Tony. "He's a cute kid." Michael said with a friendly smile. Jethro nodded his thanks, and they talked for a bit about the dog then Jethro picked Tony up and headed home. It was getting late and Tony was tired, Jethro got in the house and put Tony to bed. He got an idea and set about getting his idea a start.

The next morning Tony woke up and looked around and realized he was in his room in bed. He got up and padded down the stair into the living room. But stopped frozen in place, there in the middle of the room was his dad holding a puppy golden retriever with a red bow around it.

"What…" Tony trailed off. "Is that puppy for me?" Tony asked. Jethro nodded, Tony came forward slowly and then gave the puppy a hug.

"What do you want to name him son?" Jethro asked.

"Semper Fi." Tony said matter of factually, Jethro smiled and messed up Tony's already bed head hair.

"It's perfect, son." Jethro said, Tony smiled an one hundred watt smile and played with the puppy. The very next day Jethro went to the pet store and picked up Semper's Collar.

_Semper Fi  
__Always Faithful  
__Owner: Leroy Jethro Gibbs  
__Address: 5__th__ ST. Washington DC, House 545_

**THE END**

**So far, I am hoping to make these like into little snippet oneshots of Tony and Jethro life after, or before the "accedent" with Shannon and Kelly. Oh ad the addresses i totally made those up, dont know if there real places or not. Well I hope you liked please review.**


End file.
